British V8 Motoring

I was surprised when my wife suggested that we enter the Moss Motoring Challenge. Lisa figured it would get us out of the house to experience our state. Tourists come from all over to visit Colorado, yet there was so much we hadn’t seen. That was shortly before Memorial Day – a late start – but we jumped in with enthusiasm. We resolved to appear together in every photo, use a “real” camera (with self-timer), and strive for interesting compositions.

The scavenger hunt style “Destinations” were our favorite part. We managed to find a very pretty covered bridge, an island, a pier, and a duck-crossing sign in spite of being in the Rocky Mountains. However, after about a hundred points we seemed to run out of local scoring opportunities. I started daydreaming about out-of-state trips. I planned to visit the Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen where John Targett was honored. From there, I wanted to travel to Virginia to visit my mom on her birthday. Unfortunately, Lisa had already burned through her vacation day allotment. I’d have to do it alone.

Driving an MG, you always meet friendly people along your way. They wave and smile. They roll down their windows to talk at stoplights. They ask about your car as you try to order from drive-thru windows. And they pause to chat at gas stations.  But we’ve never met more people along our way than we did during our Motoring Challenge trips. People would see me setting up the camera and ask if they could help. Finally, while traveling solo, it dawned on me to invite those folks to pose with me. That’s much better! Looking back over my photos now, I’m reminded of friends made: Glenn in Vermont, Rob in Maryland, Rick in North Carolina, Allen and Pam in Georgia, Reco in Mississippi, Jenn in Colorado, and several others.

As friends and family heard about the Motoring Challenge, they wanted to participate too. The more the merrier! My father, siblings, nieces and nephews, and even two of our family’s dogs appear in our Challenge photos.

On one pitch black night, I crossed the Ohio River to photograph a “Welcome to Kentucky” sign on state road 60, which is very narrow. There was enough shoulder in front of the sign for my MGB, but it was on a bend and 18-wheelers were careening through much too fast. I figured I could use my headlights to illuminate the sign, but to get an attractive photo my camera needed to be on the opposite side of the road. Though I tried every trick in the book, my camera’s flash wasn’t bright enough for that. I was about to give up when a State Trooper turned on his flashing lights and pulled onto the shoulder behind my MGB. Yet amazingly, he was totally cool when I told him about the Motoring Challenge. More amazingly, he was okay with leaving his headlights on, so they’d illuminate the scene for my photo. And most wondrous of all, he seemed to get a kick out of crossing the road to take my photo from the ditch on the other side. I’ll never forget that!

Last year, PJ Lenihan crossed America collecting Motoring Challenge photos in his striking red MGB GT V6. PJ occasionally posted photos on the BritishV8 message board. I following PJ’s lead and posted my photos on BritishV8 too. All the while, I wore BritishV8 t-shirts in every photo. What’s up with that? BritishV8 is for people who believe British sports cars are as fun to hot-rod as they are to drive, and more fun to drive after they’ve been modified. My MGB has a 1963 Buick 215 V8 and a five speed. In my opinion, the aluminum V8 transforms MG’s GT into a true “grand tourer”. For one thing, it facilitates taller gear ratios. As originally built, my MGB’s four cylinder had to spin over 4300 RPM in high gear to sustain 80 MPH, whereas my V8 turns less than 2800 RPM at that speed. Every winter I try to make at least one significant upgrade. Two years ago I built an electronic fuel injection system, which made my engine noticeably smoother. EFI is especially nice here in the Rockies because it automatically acclimates to altitude changes. Last winter I built a crank-fired electronic ignition. This spring new custom trim panels and upholstery made my car noticeably quieter. Although I didn’t build my car for long road trips, it’s better suited for them than ever before.

Through the 27 years I’ve owned my MGB, one thing has been reassuringly constant: Moss Motors’ exceptional support! This year, I drove my MGB through 41 states and Ontario. I didn’t have any breakdowns or unscheduled maintenance events, but it was good to know Moss was standing by to help.

By Curtis Jacobson
britishv8.org